High volume of communication from parents and clinicians regarding the shortage
Insurance companies' prior authorization requirements exacerbate the problem
Most commonly prescribed growth hormone for children with Prader-Willi syndrome
Norditropin growth hormone has been in shortage since fall 2022
Shortage leads to behavioral issues and school absences for affected children
In a persistent shortage since fall 2022, Norditropin, the most commonly prescribed growth hormone, has caused significant frustration among parents and clinicians. This scarcity of growth hormone has had particularly notable consequences for children with Prader-Willi syndrome, such as a 9-year-old boy named Winston Hall. The shortage has led to behavioral issues in Winston that resulted in him being sent home from school. Dr. Jennifer Miller, an expert in pediatric endocrinology at the University of Florida's College of Medicine, has been fielding a high volume of faxes, emails, texts and phone calls regarding the shortage. Her office typically treats patients with rare endocrine diseases who travel from all over the U.S. to see her.
In addition to the direct impact on patients in need, insurance companies' requirements for prior authorizations for growth hormone prescriptions have exacerbated this problem during the shortage. This has left many clinicians and parents feeling frustrated by a system that is failing to provide necessary medical treatment.
Winston Hall, a 9-year-old boy with Prader-Willi syndrome, has been experiencing behavioral issues due to a shortage of growth hormone.
Children with Prader-Willi syndrome suffer from constant hunger, weight gain, and behavioral problems when not on growth hormone.
Insurance companies require prior authorizations for growth hormone prescriptions, adding to the problem during the shortage.
Accuracy
]A shortage of growth hormone, specifically Norditropin, has been ongoing since fall 2022.[
Norditropin, the most commonly prescribed growth hormone, went into shortage in fall 2022 and is still scarse.
The growth hormone shortage has caused issues for patients with Prader-Willi syndrome, leading to increased hunger, weight gain, behavioral problems and other complications.
Deception
(30%)
The article contains selective reporting and emotional manipulation. The author focuses on the negative impact of the growth hormone shortage on patients and their families, while downplaying or omitting information about efforts to address the issue. This creates a sensationalized narrative that may not accurately reflect the complexity of the situation. Additionally, statements like 'These kids are suffering' and 'It's overall just a horrendous situation' are emotionally manipulative and intended to elicit sympathy from readers.
The shortage of growth hormone has been devastating for Miller’s patients.
It’s overall just a horrendous situation because they’re eating more, they’re gaining weight more, you know, and they’re having a ton of behavioral problems.
These kids are suffering. And it’s not OK.
Fallacies
(85%)
The author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the situation as 'horrendous' and 'devastating' for children suffering from Prader-Willi syndrome. She also makes an appeal to emotion by stating that 'These kids are suffering.' While these statements may be true, they do not provide any new information or logical reasoning and therefore can be considered inflammatory rhetoric.
It's overall just a horrendous situation because they're eating more, they're gaining weight more, you know, and they're having a ton of behavioral problems.
These kids are suffering. And it's not OK.
It's been a huge issue for us to not be able to get growth hormone for some of these people for over six months now.
Bias
(80%)
The author expresses frustration and concern towards the shortage of growth hormone and its impact on patients, particularly those with Prader-Willi syndrome. While this is not inherently biased, the tone of the article leans towards empathy for the patients and criticism of insurance companies for requiring prior authorizations during the shortage. This could be seen as implicitly biased against insurance companies.
It's just we're switching pen sizes because that's what's available at the moment.
That's not just like an overnight process. It's like a couple-of-weeks thing.
They send him home because he’s had a breakdown and, you know, like tearing stuff off walls.
Norditropin, the most commonly prescribed growth hormone, went into shortage in fall 2022 and is still scarce.
Winston Hall, a 9-year-old boy with Prader-Willi syndrome, has been experiencing behavioral issues due to a shortage of growth hormone.
Accuracy
The growth hormone shortage has caused issues for patients with Prader-Willi syndrome, leading to increased hunger, weight gain, behavioral problems and other complications.
Norditropin is still scarce as of mid-2024.
The ripple effect caused by the Norditropin shortage has led to shortages of other growth hormone brands as well.
